Ankle Injury: Anyone had something similar? - Calgarypuck Forums - The Unofficial Calgary Flames Fan Community

IliketoPuck · 01-29-2010, 02:54 PM

Just a quick question:

I've had a nagging ankle injury for the last few months, hurt it playing soccer. I've had several serious ankle sprains over the years, and this is the most recent and severe version.

The physiotherapist said that it is my "talus" that is hampering my range of motion and causing pain in the joint. I've had an xray and there is nothing wrong with the bones (fractures or breaks), but there is still pain in the joint and a lack of range of motion. I've been told that if I don't get full ROM back I could do lasting damaeg to the joint and cause it to arthriticize.

Has anyone had a similar injury, and if so how long did it take to get back to where you could resume regular sports activities and what did you do to rehab it? I'm going on 5 months without being able to play at the moment, still going to physio and stretching the area constantly.

Thanks.

CaptainCrunch · 01-29-2010, 03:05 PM

I had a similar injury in high school. I got into a fight and got shoved down the stairs.

I never did get the range of motion back, I twist my ankle on that side really easily and it clicks when I walk to long.

IliketoPuck · 01-29-2010, 03:09 PM

The clicking and bone on bone grinding is the issue for me right now, apparently the strength and tendons in the ankle are fine, its just the joint itself has decided to not co-operate.

CaptainCrunch · 01-29-2010, 03:13 PM

Yup, I did a ton of physio after the "accident" it didn't make much of a different.

Mad Mel · 01-29-2010, 03:13 PM

I was working in the bush, and tore a ligament off the bone really badly (surgically reattached). Even though the X-rays apparently didn't show anything physically wrong, something was definitely busted or out of place, because after a month or so of physio, my ankle was completely loosened up but the range of motion in one direction stops abruptly with a clunk. I suggest going to physio to really figure out exactly what's happening with your range of motion, and make sure that it's something that will repair itself over time.

My ROM is restricted enough that I can't physically run, so most sports are out of the question.

eddly · 01-29-2010, 03:14 PM

I broke my talus back in July. I had a cast till October and have been trying to get it fully healed since. I am still not able to run, and walking more than 20 to 30 minutes straight is difficult as the ankle starts to hurt a little. It also hurts sometimes when I walk up or down stairs or when I carry something heavy. It seems to slowly be healing though. I've been in contact with a podiatrist fairly regularly.

The talus is a very tricky bone to heal. I can live with the pain as it is pretty mild... it just sucks that I can't run (as it feels too weak to endure it). I seem to have full range of motion, but it just can't take too much weight for long periods of time. Hope things get better for you. Feel free to ask any questions.

IliketoPuck · 01-29-2010, 03:24 PM

That sucks about the break man, but at least you have your ROM, you should get the strength back eventually...keep drinking your milk!

Walking isn't really the issue for me, I can run for the most part, but when I do its with this flat footed awkward gait, and it just ends up making the problem worse, so i've stopped running completely. ROM is such a b***h to get back.

selinis · 01-29-2010, 03:54 PM

I had a nasty ankle injury, nothing broken..it kept me away from soccer for 1 yr..

Titan · 01-29-2010, 04:22 PM

5 months is too long to go without improvement. You should see a doctor, podiatrist or even a chiropractor for a proper diagnosis and treatment plan. You said you had xrays so you must have been to a doctor at some point? If yes, then go back or somewhere else.

IliketoPuck · 01-29-2010, 04:49 PM

I got xrays done 10 days ago because of the lack of improvement. Now i'm into physio 3 times a week, hopefully that gets things going in the right direction

Finny61 · 01-29-2010, 05:39 PM

High School Basketball game in Grade 12, went up for the rebound and a really big centre jumped as well except he jumped awkwardly landed on me as we came down and I busted up my ankle pretty bad. Tore all the ligaments under the ankle bone, strained my achilles, and tore my calf somehow. The worst is watching your lower leg go black, a little scary. Only a hairline fracture on the bone. Fortunate I guess, but it was 5 weeks of hell recovering from it.

CaptainCrunch · 01-29-2010, 06:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Finny61

High School Basketball game in Grade 12, went up for the rebound and a really big centre jumped as well except he jumped awkwardly landed on me as we came down and I busted up my ankle pretty bad. Tore all the ligaments under the ankle bone, strained my achilles, and tore my calf somehow. The worst is watching your lower leg go black, a little scary. Only a hairline fracture on the bone. Fortunate I guess, but it was 5 weeks of hell recovering from it.

Yeah that black thing is frightening, its amazing what turns black when you tear a muscle in your abdomen.

eddly · 01-29-2010, 06:40 PM

It would probably be a good idea to have a few doctors looks at your xrays. My first doctor didn't notice the break in my ankle (it wasn't displaced). Thankfully I had a few more look at it which finally led to the fracture being discovered. To think I tried to "walk off the injury" for the first few days too. A little swelling and pain... bah... no matter lol

NuclearFart · 01-29-2010, 06:53 PM

Sounds like an ankle impingement syndrome (also known as "footballers ankle"), which standard x-rays views arent going to diagnose.

Have a proper doctor asses your foot to specify which ROM is actually limited, and then start with ankle/hindfoot xrays in stress views appropriate to your ROM limitation. Those are likely a stop gap though, as the true diagnostic standard will require an MRI with ankle joint contrast injection. A referral to a sports medicine doctor would likely expedite your work up and treatment options.

cracher · 01-29-2010, 07:26 PM

^agreed... impingement vs osteochondral injury (an anterior-lateral lesion can explain the symptoms as well).

the " flat footed awkward gait" sounds a little concerning. what direction did you "sprain"?

IliketoPuck · 02-01-2010, 03:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cracher

^agreed... impingement vs osteochondral injury (an anterior-lateral lesion can explain the symptoms as well).

the " flat footed awkward gait" sounds a little concerning. what direction did you "sprain"?

Sprained the outside of the right ankle. So a specialist might be the way to go then?

Blaster86 · 02-01-2010, 05:27 PM

I sprained my ankle two weeks ago. I played last week, but I was slow since I didn't want to re-hurt it. This week I have it taped so tight it could stop a bullet, I plan to score five goals for my injured ankle brethren!

/flex.

Finny61 · 02-01-2010, 05:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by IliketoPuck

Sprained the outside of the right ankle. So a specialist might be the way to go then?

If you ended up with a serious sprain you may want to consider an ankle brace, physio will likely tell you for sure but I had to get one to keep playing basketball or else I'd have likely rolled on it again.

IliketoPuck · 02-01-2010, 06:47 PM

I do have an ankle brace already, the issue is getting my ROM back to the point where running on it does not involve the flat footed gait...just a nice easy natural run.

schteve_d · 08-08-2010, 01:46 PM

Bumping an old thread.

I'd like to hear a timeline from some people on the healing. I twisted my ankle BAD two weeks ago. X-ray showed nothing but at the time everything was pretty swollen. A day later my entire foot swelled up and a day after that alot of bruising came up all around the sides of my foot, my ankle and the tops of my toes.

Two weeks later and the swelling of my foot is almost back to normal but the ankle is still quite swollen on the outside edge and most of the bruising is gone except for the tops of my toes - it's about half what it was.

I can put pressure on it and walk with a brace on no problem. I can do "toe lifts" - lifting myself off the ground onto my toes while standing on both my feet but any movement off centre still hurts quite a bit!

How long does an injury like this take? Should I be taking it easy or trying to do as much as I can?